Key



E s U 0 H K m T S R W Sept. 28, 1965 2 6 9 1 8 M F d e l 1 F INVENTOR.

WELLS F. STACKHOUSE ATTORNEYS FIG.8

United States Patent 3,208,249 KEY This invention relates in general to keys and more particularly is directed towards improvements in the construction of keys of the sort used with coin operated rental lockers. The invention also includes a novel jig for supporting the key when changing identification numbers thereon.

In coin operated rental lockers, each unit is customarily provided with a mating lock and key having the same serial numbers. In addition, the key is provided with an identification number which corresponds with whatever number is on the locker so that a patron, having rented a locker and having taken his key, may readily identify the locker upon his return.

From time to time, a patron will fail to return for the items he has stored in the locker and, in order to put the locker back into use, it is necessary for the operators to open the locker, remove the contents and replace the lock. Each time the lock is replaced the identification number on the key must be changed to correspond with the number on the locker. It is, of course, quite difiicult to change numbers that have been stamped into a metal key and normally a new key must be made. This is both expensive and wasteful since the key is otherwise still useable.

Also, it has been found from experience that vandals will bend or break the keys which are extending out from the locks of unused rental lockers. This may result in damage to the lock and constitutes a costly nuisance because the lockers are then disabled until repaired.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a key on which identification numbers may be repeatedly changed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a key which cannot be laterally bent while it is in its lock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a small portable jig for supporting a key in an upright position while its identification numbers are being altered in situ.

More particularly, this invention features a key having a plastic cap fitted snugly over the shank portion, which cap is provided with a relatively thick flat face upon which identification numbers may be stamped and which may subsequently be removed by grinding or cutting to permit new numbers to be added. As another feature of this invention, the plastic cap is provided with a wide flat shoulder portion which is adapted to butt flush against the face of the lock when the key is inserted therein and thereby effectively prevent lateral bending of the exposed shank and cap.

Another feature of this invention relates to a novel jig for supporting the key in an upright position while the identification number on the cap is being changed. The jig is provided with an adjusting screw for raising or lowering the key to bring the flat, number-bearing face of the cap to a proper cutting height relative to the working face of the jig.

But these and other features of the invention, along with other objects and advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a key and jig made according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a crosssectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a View in side elevation of the plastic cap,

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the cap,

FIG. 6 is a top plan view thereof,

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of the key body, and,

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the cap assembled on the key.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 10 generally indicates a key having a metal body portion 12 including a flat shank portion 14 and a profiled blade portion 16 with a central spline 18 formed lengthwise thereon. The shank portion is characterized by a pair of serrated edges 26 with bosses 22 extending from each side. The bosses 22 may be located towards the mid portion of the key body, as shown, or at the end of the shank. In either case the serrations will point toward the bosses for the reasons set forth below.

Mounted over the shank portion of the key and held thereon by engagement with the serrated edges 20 and the bosses 22 is a molded plastic cap 24 having a rather thin body portion with opposing inwardly curved side walls 25 for convenient gripping between the thumb and forefinger and having a narrow central opening 26 of rectangular cross section to accommodate the shank 14. The cap is formed with flared shoulders 28 which present a flat circular face 30 the plane of which is normal to the length of the key and which butts up flush against the face of the lock when inserted therein. It will thus be appreciated that, by reason of the wide base provided by the shoulder 28, it would be practically impossible: to bend the shank of the key while it is in the lock.

The cap has formed along one edge thereof a relatively thick block portion 32 which has a flat rectangular face 34 upon which there is stamped an identification number corresponding to the number that appears on the locker. Whenever it becomes necessary to change this number, the face 34 may be shaved, filed or ground down sufficiently to remove existing numbers. The smoothed surface may then be stamped with another identification number to correspond with the number on the new locker in which the mating lock is installed. The numbers may be changed repeatedly until so much of the stock on the block is removed as to weaken the cap. When the cap is no longer useable, it may be removed and replaced by a new cap.

The cap 24 is assembled onto the key by pressing it over the end of the shank 14 until the face 3t butts up against the bosses 22. The serrated shank edges 20 will bite into the cap 24 along the walls of the opening 26 to hold the cap and key firmly united. As an alternative measure an S link 36 (FIG. 8) may be attached to the key by means of a hole 38 drilled through the shank of the key adjacent the rear end edge. The link 36 thus serves the double function of retaining the cap in place on the key and providing a convenient means for connecting the key to a chain, hook, pin or the like when not in the lock.

In order to accommodate the inner end of the spline 18, a shallow curved recess 40 is formed in the face 30 and on one side of the opening 26. On the same side of the cap but at the rear end thereof there is formed another recess 42 which serves to expose a serial number that is stamped permanently on the key shank. This serial number corresponds with the serial number of the mating lock and ordinarily is never changed since the key can operate but a single lock.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there is illustrated a jig 44 for supporting a key 10 in an upright horizontal position While the identification numbers on the cap 24 are being changed. The jig includes a rectangular base 46 of A" steel plate approximately 3%" view taken along the line by 1 /2" and having a bifurcated bracket 48 permanently secured thereto by welding or the like.

The bracket 48 is formed with a pair of upright legs 50 and 52, the upper ends of which are bent outwardly to form a pair of horizontal arms 54 and 56. The legs 52 and its arm 56 are provided with a slot 58 which extends to the free end of the arm. The slot 58 is in register with a slot 60 formed in the leg 50 and terminating in the arm 54.

The slot 58 is approximately 4 wide, corresponding with the maximum edgewise thickness of the key blade while the slot 60 is somewhat narrower, A3 for example, to accommodate the exposed end of the key shank which is of relatively thin stock. The upright legs 50 and 52 are generally parallel and spaced from one another by a distance approximately equal to or slightly greater than the length of the plastic cap 24. From FIGS. 1-3, and from the above description, it will be clear that the key 10, when set down into the jig with the cap face 34 turned upwards, will be firmly supported on all sides. In this position, identification numbers on the face 34 may be readily removed by filing, shaving or the like and new numbers stamped on.

In order to bring the face 34 to a level slightly above the upper surfaces of the arms 54 and 56 (FIGS. 2 and 3), a height adjustment screw 62 is threaded through the bottom on the bracket 48 and the base 46 and has an enlarged knurled head 64 which supports the bottom of the cap 24. Since the block 32 will gradually be reduced in thickness as identification numbers are removed, and since the jig should be able to accommodate a great many keys at different stages of wear, it may be necessary to raise or lower a key according to the thickness of its block 32.

The jig is extremely rugged and may be used not only as a support for the key while removing numbers, but also as an anvil while new numbers are stamped on the block face 34. It is quite compact and easily portable so that key identification numbers may be conveniently changed in the area of the locker installation.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that numerous modifications thereof will appear to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A key for operating a lock having a flat outer surface, comprising a flat rigid key body, said body having a shank portion and a profiled blade portion adapted to be inserted in said lock and a molded plastic cap having a shank receiving opening extending from one face thereof to the opposite face, said shank portion extending through and slightly beyond said opening in the'cap, a hole formed in said shank portion extending from said cap, retaining means passing through said hole to retain said cap in place on said shank, said cap being formed at its inner end with a wide flat face perpendicular to the length of the blade portion, said face being adapted to butt flush against the outer surface of said lock when said blade is inserted therein.

2. A key as defined in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a link having a loop at one end for attachment to a key chain or the like.

3. A key for operating a lock having a fiat outer surface, comprising a fiat rigid key body, said body having a shank portion and a profiled blade portion adapted to be inserted in said lock, and a molded plastic cap having a shank receiving opening extending from one face thereof to the opposite face, said shank portion extending through and slightly beyond said opening in the cap, a hole formed in said shank portion extending from said cap, retaining means passing through said hole to retain said cap in place on said shank, said cap being formed at its inner end with a wide flat face perpendicular to the length of the blade portion, said face being adapted to butt flush against the outer surface of said lock when said blade is inserted therein, said cap being further formed with a thickened planar block portion along one edge thereof and presenting an exposed flat surface adapted to have identification marks alternately stamped thereon and removed therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,032,930 7/12 Moseley 40--33O 1,127,770 2/15 Isidor 408 1,816,266 7/31 Shogran 269289 2,301,531 11/42 Falk 76110 2,348,091 5/44 Outlaw 269--289 2,520,355 8/50 Bell 30342 X 2,620,649 12/52 Bernardo 70358 2,667,785 2/54 Opocensky 70337 2,932,963 4/60 Walker 70408 FOREIGN PATENTS 410,678 4/45 Italy. 472,675 6/52 Italy.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A KEY FOR OPERATING A LOCK HAVING A FLAT OUTER SURFACE, COMPRISING A FLAT RIGID KEY BODY, SAID BODY HAVING A SHANK PORTION AND A PROFILED BLADE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN SAID LOCK AND A MOLDED PLASTIC CAP HAVING A SHANK RECEIVING OPENING EXTENDING FROM ONE FACE THEREOF TO THE OPPOSITE FACE, SAID SHANK PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH AND SLIGHTLY BEYOND SAID OPENING IN THE CAP, A HOLE FORMED IN SAID SHANK PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID CAP, RETAINING MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLE TO RETAIN SAID CAP IN PLACE ON SAID SHANK, SAID CAP BEING FORMED AT ITS INNER END WITH A WIDE FLAT FACE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LENGTH OF THE BLADE PORTION, SAID FACE BEING ADAPTED TO BUTT FLUSH AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LOCK WHEN SAID BLADE IS INSERTED THEREIN. 